Gola Konneh, Grand Cape Mount — The idea of establishing Community Forest was to put resources at the disposal of communities in order to design and implement their own development initiatives. As a way of decentralizing national development, communities would now have the right to identify, negotiate and offer their forests to logging companies so that proceeds accrued from the contracts can be used to build hospitals, roads, schools, latrines, educate their children, etc. (2009 Community Rights Law with Respect to Forest Lands). Communities could also choose to engage into conservation by preserving a portion of their forests while seeking alternative livelihoods.
But it seems that the blessing of the Community Forest, despite its good intention, is gradually turning into a curse for forest communities across Liberia. Some logging companies have breached the agreements with communities and have fled the country with huge financial liabilities, while others have been engaged into dubious concession activities much to the disadvantage of the communities.
Recent fact-finding mission by the Liberia Forest Media Watch (LFMW) to the Gola Konneh Community Forest in Grand Cape Mount County has uncovered how a logging company called AKEWA Group of Companies Inc. had breached its agreement with the community. Residents of Gola Konneh within the heart of the Lush Managorduah Forest had long relied on the forest for their livelihood sustainability until AKEWA Group of Companies Inc. stepped in with an elaborate but a soon to fail promise.
The AKEWA Group of Companies promised prosperity, sustainability and commitment once it secured a logging contract with the community and the people of Gola Konneh, vowing to uphold all regulations to protect the forest and its resources. In that agreement, the Chief Executive Officer of the AKEWA Group of Companies Inc., Abigail Funkle Adebunme, agreed to construct five (5) handpumps, pay US$13,000.00 per annum for Scholarship, US$33,810 per annum for land rental fee, US$4.00 per cubic meter fee.
The company also agreed to construct a six-classroom building somewhere around the Jenemana area. More to that, the AKEWA Group of Companies Inc. agreed to rehabilitate one major road in the Gola Konneh District.
Despite promising to respect and uphold the agreement, evidence shows that the AKEWA Group of Companies has reneged in upholding its end of the agreement even though there have been some pitfalls on the part of the community. For instance, on Monday, January 31, 2022, the Bassa Town Warehouse of the AKEWA Group of Companies Inc. was ransacked by men believed to be from the tradition. LFMW learned that the attack on the company's warehouse was due to the failure of the logging company to live up to the agreement its signed with the community. The matter was sent to the Lofa Bridge Police Station, and later to the Lofa Bridge Magisterial Court. LFMW later learned that the community through the Community Forest Management Body (CFMB) claimed responsibility of the attack.
Recent financial report seen by LFMW and compiled by the former Treasurer of the CFMB, Alfred Gbellay Varney now the District Commissioner of Gola Konneh, shows that in four years, the AKEWA Group of companies has not paid a penny for scholarship. The report further indicates that company's CEO Abigail Funkle Adebunme and her AKEWA Group of Companies are indebted to the community in the sum of US$158,837.30 in various fees as highlighted below: US$87,430.00 in land rental fee, US$19,407.30 in cubic meter fee and US$52,000.00 in scholarship; all, over a period of 4yrs (2019-2023). This sums the total arrears to US$158,837.30 that AKEWA owed the community.
Beyond the financial liabilities, the logging company failed to construct the six-classroom building it promised to build in Jenemana. It also failed to construct a single handpump in any of the affected community, and above all, the company did not rehabilitate the road it promised. Residents who had explicit confidence in the AKEWA Group of Companies from the onset of the commercialization of the Gola Konneh Community Forest say they are disappointed in the operations of the company.
"Instead of sustainable logging practices, the company has resorted to reckless pit sawing and mining, causing irreparable damage to the delicate ecosystem of the forest", the Forest Manager, now visually impaired Jeffery Varney lamented.
Finance Officer of the Gola Konneh Community Forest, Roland David recommends that the agreement between the AKEWA Group of Companies and Gola Konneh District should be terminated without delay comes October of this year when community and company will sit to review the logging contract.
The Executive Committee Chairman, Abraham Sirleaf said he could not speak to the financial report seen by LFMW on grounds that he was still analyzing the report. He, however, admitted that the AKEWA Group of Companies has failed to live up to the agreement it signed with the community back in 2019.
For his part, the Chief Officer of the CFMB (former Senator of Grand Cape Mount County), James Kromah Momo accused AKEWA's CEO Abigail Funkle Adebunme of showing lack of interest in the agreement and as such, community might be pushing for termination comes October which may require arbitration. "I see us going to court because if arbitration failed, we will be left with no alternative but to take the matter to Court so as to reclaim our forest. Madam Abigail doesn't call me neither does she pick my calls. I don't think she has interest in the forest. She's only looking for faults then she can use it as a spring board, said the Chief Officer.
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Efforts to get comment from the company through its CEO didn't materialize as we learned she is presently in Nigeria. What was meant to be a blessing to the people of Gola Konneh now appears to be a curse, leaving community members with option to maintain or terminate the contract next month. The once green canopy of the Managorduah Forest now Gola Konneh Authorized Community Forest is now scarred by gaping holes and felled trees, leaving the community devastated and disillusioned. Signed 2019, the people of Gola Konneh reserve the right to retain or terminate the contract with AKEWA provided they meet all legal requirements including arbitration.
As the five years' revision timetable of the agreement clock in October of this year, it is advisable for the affected community to seek the support of civil society organizations before going ahead to review the contract with a company that has defaulted on almost all the commitments it made to them. In addition, the leadership of Gola Konneh CFMB could also learn from the experience of the Korninga B Authorized Community Forest in Gbarpolu County that have reclaimed their 31,318-hectares of forest due non-compliance.
